It’s going to be a hoppy summer thanks to the Kelley House Museum’s new exhibit on Mendocino’s beer brewing heritage. On Tap traces the deep roots and rich stories behind one of Northern California’s most spirited industries—from the small breweries that served the local lumber workers to the craft beer renaissance that put Mendocino on the national brewing map. Kelley House members are invited to an opening reception on Saturday, June 7th, 4:00 – 5:30pm.
The exhibit showcases the evidence left behind by the 19th century breweries through archival photographs, newspaper clippings, and maps, while spotlighting the people—German immigrants, local entrepreneurs, and counterculture trailblazers—who turned hops and barley into a beverage that has sustained the community for almost two centuries. Well, except for those Prohibition years, but even then the beer makers and consumers could not be thwarted! (You’ll have to visit the exhibit to discover what a “blind pig” was.) Learn how the region’s natural abundance, independent spirit, and love of experimentation gave rise to groundbreaking breweries like the North Coast Brewing Company, one of the pioneer craft beer makers in the United States. Guest Curator: Robert Dominy.